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William Mullins (c. 1572–1621)
William Mullins, the son of John and Joan (Bridger) Mullins of Dorking, co. Surrey, was born about 1572. [1] He died on 21 February 1620/1. [2] He had a wife named Alice. Her maiden name is unknown; she may not have been the mother of his children. She probably died soon after the Mayflower departed on its return trip after 2 April 1621. [2]
William came to Plymouth on the Mayflower with his wife, daughter Priscilla, son Joseph, and a servant, Robert Carter. Mr. Mullins, his wife, son and servant died in the first winter. [1][3, 442]
William was a shoemaker. Along with his family, he brought more than 250 shoes and 13 pairs of boots on the Mayflower.
William probably made his noncupative will on the day of his death. A copy of the will was made on 2 April 1621 and taken back to England on the Mayflower's return trip. Probate was on 23 July 1621, when William's married daughter Sarah (Mullins) Blunden was appointed administratrix. The probate papers refer to William as late of Dorking, county Surrey. William left forty pounds that were owned to him by Goodman Woods in equal shares to his wife, son Joseph, daughter Priscilla and eldest son. He left his eldest son all his debts, bonds and bills, except the one from Goodman Woods, and all of the stock in his own hands. He left his eldest daughter ten shillings, to be paid by his eldest son. He left his wife Alice half of his goods and his children Joseph and Priscilla the other half. He also possessed 21 dozen shoes and 13 pairs of boots, which he proposed to sell to the company for forty pounds at seven years. He would then own nine shares. He left two each to his wife, his son William and his children Joseph and Priscilla. He left one share to the company. If his son came to Virginia, which is what the Pilgrims then thought Plymouth was part of, he was receive his father's land. [2]
Children of William and (possibly) Alice Mullins:
i. Sarah Mullins married Unknown Blunden. She did not come to New England with her father.
ii. William Mullins apparently died in 1674. He had an unknown first wife. [4] He married second Ann, the widow of Thomas Bell, on 7 May 1656 in Boston. [4]
William had a daughter who left no children. [4]
William did not come to New England with his father.
iii. Joseph Mullins probably died soon after the Mayflower departed on its return trip after 2 April 1621. [2]
iv. Priscilla Mullins was born say 1603. She died after 1650. She married John Alden.
Endnotes:
1. Caleb Johnson, "William Mullins," MayflowerHistory.com (http://mayflowerhistory.com : accessed 28 December 2023) > Mayflower Passenger List, entry for William Mullins.
2. George Ernest Bowman, "The Will of William Mullins," Mayflower Descendant 1 (1899): 230–2.
3. William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, Charles Dean, editor (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856), Appendix.
4. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1315–6.
Last revised: 28-Dec-2023